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Grievance

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I live in texas

I hired a lawyer to help me with a custody situation; at my initial consultation, we discussed that this is an urgent situation that needed action before July and discussed several strategies. I paid her retainer the same day. This was the end of March.

Since then, I have not been able to get ahold of her. I have sent multiple emails and text messages to her, all without a response, and left multiple phone messages at her office, none of which were returned.

I have finally sent her a letter of termination and asked for a final invoice, with return of any unused retainer, along with a request for my file. This was sent a week ago with no response.

I have hired a new attorney and their office said perhaps they’ll have better luck getting ahold of my prior attorney.

In the event that my new attorney can not get ahold of my previous one, is this a situation where a grievance would be helpful or appropriate? I’m not sure what else to do.
 


LdiJ

Senior Member
I live in texas

I hired a lawyer to help me with a custody situation; at my initial consultation, we discussed that this is an urgent situation that needed action before July and discussed several strategies. I paid her retainer the same day. This was the end of March.

Since then, I have not been able to get ahold of her. I have sent multiple emails and text messages to her, all without a response, and left multiple phone messages at her office, none of which were returned.

I have finally sent her a letter of termination and asked for a final invoice, with return of any unused retainer, along with a request for my file. This was sent a week ago with no response.

I have hired a new attorney and their office said perhaps they’ll have better luck getting ahold of my prior attorney.

In the event that my new attorney can not get ahold of my previous one, is this a situation where a grievance would be helpful or appropriate? I’m not sure what else to do.
Give your new attorney a chance. If that fails, then yes, filing a grievance with your state BAR Association is probably your next step.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I live in texas

I hired a lawyer to help me with a custody situation; at my initial consultation, we discussed that this is an urgent situation that needed action before July and discussed several strategies. I paid her retainer the same day. This was the end of March.

Since then, I have not been able to get ahold of her. I have sent multiple emails and text messages to her, all without a response, and left multiple phone messages at her office, none of which were returned.

I have finally sent her a letter of termination and asked for a final invoice, with return of any unused retainer, along with a request for my file. This was sent a week ago with no response.

I have hired a new attorney and their office said perhaps they’ll have better luck getting ahold of my prior attorney.

In the event that my new attorney can not get ahold of my previous one, is this a situation where a grievance would be helpful or appropriate? I’m not sure what else to do.
Filing a grievance can get the attention of your first lawyer but, because you have now hired a new attorney, I suggest you seek this attorney's advice and direction.

Good luck.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
I live in texas

I hired a lawyer to help me with a custody situation; at my initial consultation, we discussed that this is an urgent situation that needed action before July and discussed several strategies. I paid her retainer the same day. This was the end of March.

Since then, I have not been able to get ahold of her. I have sent multiple emails and text messages to her, all without a response, and left multiple phone messages at her office, none of which were returned.

I have finally sent her a letter of termination and asked for a final invoice, with return of any unused retainer, along with a request for my file. This was sent a week ago with no response.

I have hired a new attorney and their office said perhaps they’ll have better luck getting ahold of my prior attorney.

In the event that my new attorney can not get ahold of my previous one, is this a situation where a grievance would be helpful or appropriate? I’m not sure what else to do.
Have you actually just gone to the office? If not..why?
 

quincy

Senior Member
Have you actually just gone to the office? If not..why?
Arranging an in-person meeting with your attorney prior to terminating the relationship is generally the best first step to take, to discuss concerns in an attempt to resolve problems.

Because there is a new attorney already hired, it is best now for the new attorney to contact the old attorney for a transfer of the case file and to handle (if necessary) the formal withdrawal of the first attorney from the case.
 
Arranging an in-person meeting with your attorney prior to terminating the relationship is generally the best first step to take, to discuss concerns in an attempt to resolve problems.

Because there is a new attorney already hired, it is best now for the new attorney to contact the old attorney for a transfer of the case file and to handle (if necessary) the formal withdrawal of the first attorney from the case.
Yes, I forgot to mention. When I could not reach her, I went to her office to try to see her in person. Her office had been vacated, and the building’s receptionist would only provide me with her phone number, which was the same office number I had, and an email address, which I also already had. I knew she was going to be moving to a new office but didn’t know when and thought I would be given the new address.

As of now, my new lawyer hasn’t been able to reach her either. So that’s where I am.
 

Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
In most states the state bar association is simply a voluntary trade organization of lawyers and the OP's attorney might not even be a member as not all lawyers join the bar association. Even if the lawyer does join the association, it might not have current contact information or, if it does, it might have a policy of not giving out that information to the general public.

The term "state bar" without the word association generally refers to the body that licenses lawyers in the state, though in many states it is not actually called that. But in Texas, it is quite literally the The State Bar of Texas. Membership in the State Bar is mandatory (though a lawsuit is pending challenging that.) The State Bar in Texas combines the regulatory oversight functions and the features of a bar association into one organization. So in this case, it the Texas State Bar the OP would need to contact to see if he or she might get current contact information. There is a find a lawyer feature on it's home page up near the top right of the page that may provide what the OP needs.
 

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